Even Jesus Christ can’t seem to get Premier League players and managers a break
The snow’s falling down, kids are enjoying their holidays, offices take an extended break and homes swell with festive cheer and celebration as Europe looks forward to Christmas and the impending New Year. Footballers too get a break, to put their feet up a bit and get some rest and relaxation while also getting time to spend with family and friends. After all, when the rest of the world’s celebrating, why shouldn’t they? However, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Alexis Sanchez, Angel di Maria and the rest of the players in England’s top flight – are not sharing the same sentiments as they find themselves embroiled in the yearly rigmarole that is the ‘bonus’ fixture pile-up that the Premier League is associated with usually at this point in the season. Unlike during their time in Spain in the last few years, the above quartet is not going to be enjoying a winter break this time around. A cluster of games are the presents that the league throws up to its teams, and their players and managers, who must curse their luck when they look at what their pals in the other leagues are up to. It’s been a long-running debate on whether the Football Association (FA) should cease with this annual fixture congestion in keeping with what Spain, Germany, Italy and the rest of Europe’s top leagues do in order to aid English teams in the long run. So far though, it hasn’t cut any slack with the powers to be as profit, viewership and cash, continue to ensure that players will be in their team strips four times in a span of 10 days between December 26 and January 5. The rest of Europe In contrast, the winter break is on after this weekend’s round of matches in the other leagues. The La Liga will resume on January 3rd, the Serie A on January 5th and the Ligue 1 on January 7th. That’s 14 days off for those teams at the minimum. The Bundesliga is even better, and reopens only on January 30th, resulting in a month of rest and recuperation for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Of course, Germany has only 18 teams and as a result has 40 matches lesser in its calendar, due to which they can afford a whole month off. But the other three big leagues have the same number of teams as the Premier League and get 14 days off. Ironically, despite that, the La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Premier League all conclude on the weekend of May 23/24; Serie A closes a week later. So, the situation in England is great for television, great for some sections of fans who do enjoy the added football during the holidays, but how about the players and what effect does it have in the longer run, say for teams in the UEFA Champions League? English teams in the Champions League knockout rounds One trend that has been observed on an almost annual basis is that teams from the other leagues seem to almost fare better in the Champions League than those from England. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund seem to be able to find another gear as the competition moves into March and April. Last year Manchester City, the eventual champions, were eliminated in the first knockout round by Barcelona, Arsenal likewise by Bayern Munich. Chelsea got to the semi-finals before being beaten by Atletico Madrid. Last year’s Chelsea are in fact a classic case; they were going well in the Premier League and looking likely for a title run until their resources got stretched with a deep run in Europe. Manchester City benefited from having a deeper squad as well as bowing out early, allowing them to fully concentrate on the league. This explains how they became champions last year despite being top of the table for a mere 14 days. And Liverpool had no distractions from the get go, a challenge they could not cope with this year, not being able to get past the group stage even.
The top three teams in England over the past five seasons (based on how they finished that season)
Looking at how the top English teams (in reference to order of finish that season) have gone in Europe in the last five years, it doesn’t make for good reading. Of the eventual champions, Manchester United went the furthest in 2010-11 finishing runners-up to Barcelona. No runner-up has gone beyond the quarter-finals and likewise for the third-best team. The top Spanish and German teams are however, constantly making the quarters and the semis in Europe’s premier club competition. Last year, it was an all-Spanish affair in the final and the year before that, an all-German one. Each of the top three Spanish teams last year made the quarter-finals while two German teams did. Chelsea were England’s only representative. You might say that those stats merely state the obvious, which is that the Premier League isn’t ‘the best in the world’ as those ‘pundits’ would have you believe and that the players in Spain and Germany are so much better than the ones in England. While that isn’t entirely a faulty line of debate, all players, including the very best ones, need their rest and time to recuperate and when viewed in that context a 14-day period of no competitive action is gold dust. Chelsea may be amongst the best in Europe this term, but the lack of time off could hurt them when they take on Europe’s big boys. World Cup exertions Like those layers of cake that you get around Christmas when you step into feasts, certain footballers this year had to deal with the exertions of playing at the quadrennial showpiece before returning to their clubs. It wasn’t for no reason that players such as Eden Hazard, Robin van Persie and Pablo Zabaleta took some time to get going this season. Also, players associated with the Brazil team, the World Cup hosts, seem to suffering from a serious dip in form after their underwhelming campaign that ended in a humiliating exit at the hands of eventual winners Germany. Fernandinho is a prime example of a player whose form has dipped this year over last season, while Oscar and Willian looked to be carrying a hangover for some time as well. What would really irk the players is that even during such years, there is no exception made by the FA. Is there any respite? The fact that the Premier League is an extremely profitable money-spinning offering now probably means that the end to this hectic schedule is nowhere in sight in the near future. When Premier Leagues can charge upto £600 for children to become mascots, you know that its money over anything else. Also, the fact that as a product it is being lapped up by audiences outside of England who are in fact the main drivers of television revenue probably means that the Christmas festivities for the players will continue to remain on the pitch.
Louis van Gaal is the latest manager to criticize the Christmas scheduling
As Louis van Gaal said recently critiquing this, "I am not happy - but I cannot change it - because I don't think it is good for the players that they play within two days of a (previous) match - two matches in two days.” "In December it shall be like that. We also have family. I have a wife and kids, and grandchildren, and I cannot see them this Christmas. But I want to work in the Premier League, so I have to adapt, and I shall adapt. But I don't think it is good. It is not good for the players, nor for the family." Perhaps it’s about time ‘the best league in the world’ lent a caring ear to its primary stakeholders in order to further the interests of its clubs in the long run and not just its coffers.
"I give you my word that we will put in an effort. I don't know if we'll win, but we'll persist. Put on your seat belts, because we're going to have fun."
Two trophy-less seasons had passed at the Nou Camp when ‘Pep’ Guardiola was appointed manager of FC Barcelona ahead of the 2008/09 season; the above were his words during his presentation to the fans. He was tasked with resurrecting the fortunes of one of the most famous European clubs in football and bringing back the glory days to Catalonia.
Six full seasons on, he stands out as one of the best managers in world football, the reputation of both Barcelona and his own personal brand greatly enhanced.
The name Guardiola does not merely represent a man any more; it has come to represent a faith, a belief, a philosophy; one that has delivered success on a consistent basis at the highest level. Whether you love his tactics or hate them, there is no disputing the fact that ‘talking tactics’ and ‘formation fiddling’ just went up to a whole new level with his coaching in play. And if there’s one word that would aptly sum up all of Guardiola’s coaching adventures so far, it would be ‘dynamism’.
With Europe’s top leagues on hold due to the international break, it’s a good time to take a look at the evolution of Pep’s formations from Barcelona to Bayern Munich. For ever so quietly, away from the main stories making the rounds in the continent, Guardiola’s Bayern have made another impressive start and are looking the best amongst all the reigning league champions. That’s not all; Guardiola has thrown in another new tweak in the Bavarian giants’ strategy, which has been quite fascinating. Pep’s Barcelona and the 4-3-3
Even before we get to talking about the actual formations, I think it is essential that we fully recognize Pep’s philosophy – the philosophy to build teams on the foundations of unison, work rate, patience, ball movement, zonal play, positional play and finally dynamism, both in formations as well as personnel. Each of Guardiola’s acquisitions was done with a specific goal in mind.
In his all-conquering first season, when Barcelona won the treble, Guardiola operated predominantly with a 4-3-3 formation. While many critics believe that all he did was put together a group of some of the most talented players around, that is not necessarily true. Guardiola had a plan and a reason for putting in each of the players that he inserted regularly into his line-ups.
Holding possession by moving the ball both laterally and forward with crisp, short passes was the principle that they religiously stuck to. And they would wait for their opportunities when the opposing defence would get unhinged to strike the final blow. This early version though played slightly quicker, largely due to the presence of forwards Thierry Henry, who played wide left, Samuel Eto’o, who played through the middle, and Lionel Messi, who started wide right.
Behind that trio was Sergio Busquets, promoted from the B team, in the holding role, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta to his right and left respectively. Eto’o at the time was at the height of his powers, while Messi had still not reached his magical peak yet. So utilizing the pace and power of Henry and Eto’o, while relying on Messi’s ability to dribble and draw defenders, was essential.
Xavi played behind the front three as the deep-lying playmaker and Busquets played the roles of anchor-man and Xavi’s wingman, always moving with him, protecting him from opposing defenders and acting as a foil to receive and spray passes. He was also the added cover for the backline, slotting in for one of the centre-backs, notably Gerard Pique, whenever he ventured forward.
Iniesta would venture further forward as the advanced playmaker, either going central to support the forward trio or taking up the space out wide vacated by Henry or Messi. This also required a very hard-working central striker and Eto’o did just that, sometimes falling back to receive the ball and actually allowing Henry and Messi to work as a front two.
Messi’s conversion into a striker opened up a world of possibilities for Barca
Subsequently, Guardiola converted Messi into a full-fledged striker from a winger, and Eto’o and Henry would depart. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was bought in as Guardiola wanted to find a different way of scoring goals, but that experiment didn’t go very well and he used him sparingly.
This was when the triangle offense really came into its own, as Barca’s players would move forward with the ball, triangulating their passing with almost geometric precision to unseat teams. Can you believe that 2008-09 was the last time that Messi scored less than 49 goals in all competitions?
David Villa would take up Henry’s role out wide on the left after the Frenchman’s departure, and Pedro would take up the wide right position. However, Pedro wasn’t a regular in the team and Guardiola would go quite a few games with Iniesta/Villa/Messi as the front three.
Fabregas playing as a false forward
Then came the acquisition of Cesc Fabregas and the introduction of the false nine concept. With Fabregas and also Alexis Sanchez in the side, Guardiola had a new level of freedom and dexterity with which to operate. Both Fabregas and Sanchez could play in a multitude of positions, which is why they were bought. Fabregas enabled Pep to play the striker-less formations, the conventional 4-4-2 with Messi and Pedro/Sanchez up front, and the 4-1-3-2 with him playing in a midfield three with Iniesta and Xavi and Pedro, and Sanchez either side of Messi up front.
Defensively, Alves would bomb forward on the right with Puyol covering for him. That would result in Abidal falling back into the left side of a back three, with Pique and Puyol. Also, the long balls were sparingly employed by Pep’s Barca sides as they lacked the height and physicality up front and also because their defenders were more comfortable playing the ball out on the ground as Pique continuously did. Pique’s forays forward also meant a covering job for Busquets to drop back and aid Puyol and Abidal.
Throughout his time at Barca, there were two players outside of Messi that were of utmost importance to make the formation work and make it dynamic – Alves and Abidal.
Alves was key in the attacking areas of the right flank. His intricate interchanges with Messi in the opposition half were among Barcelona’s biggest threats. When Messi moved into the middle as a false nine, Alves continued to play high up the pitch, importantly stretching the play, especially since both Villa and Pedro too were more inclined to move in from out wide.
Alves’ ability to go up and down so regularly and with such frightening results made up for the lack of a right winger or right midfielder. His forward menace also managed to keep the opposition left-back pinned down in his own half.
Eric Abidal (left) celebrates scoring a goal with Dani Alves (right) in a Copa del Rey match against Real Madrid at the Santigao Bernabeu in January 2012
Abidal was hugely important in compensating for Alves. He would push forward when necessary, but his ability to sense danger and drop deep to operate as an additional third centre-back when required were irreplaceable. He also covered for Busquets and Pique in their respective roles whenever Barca were in pursuit of a goal and pushed more bodies forward. Abidal was the guy who made the formation tick at the back with his amazing ability to play left-back, centre-back and defensive midfield to perfection.
All in all, Guardiola’s formula at Barca for much of his stay was built on the full-backs, dribbling centre-backs, the wide forwards who would dart in and the midfield duo of Iniesta and Xavi and later the concept of the ‘false forward’. Bayern 1.0 – Beginnings with 4-1-4-1
German giants Bayern Munich came calling for Guardiola’s services and he agreed to take over the reins from the 2013-14 season onwards in what was a tough act to follow as his predecessor Jupp Heynckes signed off in some style leading the Bavarians to a historic treble with a team that was devastatingly destructive.
Bayern 1.0 saw Guardiola employ a 4-1-4-1 formation. This formation was built to explore Bayern’s depth in midfield especially around the ability of Toni Kroos to distribute, move up and down the middle of the pitch and also play as a playmaker. While at Barca, Guardiola had players of short stature at his disposal who were very good in possession; at Bayern he had more direct players in the likes of Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery and he tried to cater to their strengths by banking on the influential Kroos.
The 4-1-4-1
Philip Lahm, possibly the best right-back in the world was given a new role by Guardiola as a holding midfielder breaking up the erstwhile duo of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez that his predecessor used to telling effect. His need for a more mobile holding player with good passing range saw him make the shift and that meant Rafinha would take Lahm’s place at right-back.
However, the full-backs under this system were part of a mobile triumvirate that would move up and down with Lahm and would more often than not join up with the two central midfielders to make a four in the middle occupying the space vacated by the two wingers who’ve joined up in attack. The use of ‘false full-backs’ was made possible by the presence of Ribery and Robben, who provided the width with their forays out wide to reduce the necessity for advanced full-backs. In the absence of one or both, Alaba and Rafinha tended to play in a more traditional full-back role.
And it was that versatility that got them off to such a flying start last season, eventually helping them win the Bundesliga at a canter. Opposing teams simply could not handle the many different attacking formations in the form of an attacking double-pivot of either Götze/Robben, Götze/Müller or Müller/Robben. Also, unlike at Barca, this Guardiola team played a good number of good long balls because – a. their defenders weren’t the dribbly kind like Pique and b. the presence of aerially gifted players such as Müller and Mario Mandzukic.
The presence of multiple playmakers ensured that they could swap roles freely and the ones not on the ball could then run the channels effectively, complementarily opening up space for each other to operate in.
The overlying emphasis of this formation was to always have three central midfielders on the pitch at any point of time. That’s why Pep went out and bought Thiago Alcantara, not for old time’s sake. Lahm explained as much in an interview last year:
“Also, outwardly it appears as if we’ve changed our system, but if you look more closely we still have three central midfielders on the pitch. Whether there’s one No.6 [a primarily defensive holding midfielder] and two No.10s [offensive midfielders], or one No.6 and two No.8s [more creative holding midfielders] or maybe one No.8, one No.6 and one No.10 – there are three players in central midfield. To give you an example, last season Toni Kroos [a typical No.10] sometimes played in the No.6 position alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. It’s open to debate whether or not you could have spoken of two No. 6 players in those moments. So each of the three players fills the position with his own identity and his characteristics. That is what counts.”
The attacking pivots also helped in pressing from the front and while not as intense and harrying as they were under Heynckes, Bayern were still very effective doing their version of the Barca press to dispossess opponents.
The difference in Guardiola’s triangle systems at Barca (above) and Bayern (below)
This formation was another continuation in the triangle system of Guardiola, except that instead of widening the pitch to stretch the defence like at Barca, here the system was about overloading the centre of the park with triangles formed all around the centremost midfielder, usually either Kroos, Lahm or Schweinsteiger.
And this system also kept up the bargain of tactical flexibility for Guardiola as it could morph into a 3-4-1-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, even a 2-4-4 at times if chasing a game.
The 4-1-4-1 for all its tactical nuances had some weaknesses. It involved the full-backs playing almost as midfielders and with Lahm’s solidity no longer present at right-back, it exposed Bayern, who played a high defensive line, to individual mistakes and long passes. And as brilliant a sweeper-keeper as Manuel Neuer is, he could not always save the day for them, especially against quality opposition.
When used ineffectively the overload of playmakers in the centre muddled the midfield and made their attack look toothless and the build-up slow. Also, they could almost never capitalize on quick counter-attacking opportunities.
Bayern wore a dejected look as they were taken apart by Real Madrid
All of this came to a head in their semi-final tie against Real Madrid in last year’s UEFA Champions League. Madrid were a side perfectly built to expose each and every flaw of this system and it was a matchup nightmare for the German side. A front six of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Angel di Maria, Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso had too much pace, power, and on-ball ability to be contained by the 4-1-4-1. Ronaldo and Bale ran roughshod over the two ‘false full-backs’ and Benzema’s movement in combination with one of the two plus di Maria took the two centre-backs out of the equation as well.
Also a few players such as Mandzukic suffered as he was forced to make runs out wide and become a provider at times instead of a goal threat and that saw him lose his starting spot to a midfielder with Guardiola preferring to play Müller as the lone striker instead. Ribery and Robben were forced to make the unnatural shift to receiving the ball and quickly giving it back, instead of venturing forward to take on the defenders which took the destructive nature out of Bayern’s attacks. Bayern 2.0 – A 3-4-3
With all that had gone by and seeing the limitations that the 4-1-4-1 caused, Guardiola introduced a 3-4-3 system against Borussia Dortmund in the DFB Pokal final of last year to redeem himself after the chastening defeat to Madrid. And he has continued with it this season.
The backline movement in the 3-4-3
The 3-man backline sacrifices width for numerical superiority in dealing with opposing attackers while providing a man advantage in midfield.
In defence, it relies on the 3-man backline and the 4-man midfield, which includes the two wingbacks. And in attack, the formation moulds into a 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 using either one attacking midfielder (Götze/Kroos) behind two strikers (Mandzukic/Robben and Müller) or two attacking midfielders (Kroos/Müller, Kroos/Götze) and the lone striker (Robben/Müller/Mandzukic).
The 3-4-2-1 has been the one that Bayern have gone with more often and it is a very demanding formation. The two withdrawn strikers or attacking mids play a critical role as they alternate between shifting wide or tucking in behind the main striker. Due to only one striker up top and a lack of wingers, the role of the wingbacks becomes more important. Without their inputs, Bayern can't maintain their superiority when attacking. While being aggressive though, they have to remain disciplined, as they are the sole defensive cover on the wings. So even one slip-up can be costly.
However, the 3-man backline does provide an extra target against teams whose forwards press hard, like Dortmund. The extra man enables them to pass the ball out smoother. The central centre-back often functions as a key distributor, much like Pique did at Barca while the two guys either side of him push wide almost in a full-back-like position to use and cover the space.
Someone like Javi Martinez and Holger Badstuber, both of whom have played as defensive midfielders, can play centre-back better in this formation as it helps them break up play, even at the cost of leaving their position thanks to added protection from the sides and also helps in their distribution. If need be they can even step in to join the midfield to provide extra impetus in attack as the other two centre-backs would then converge to form a back-two.
Till now, Guardiola has used six different players in the full-back roles this season – Pierre Hoijberg, Juan Bernat, Philip Lahm, David Alaba, Rafinha and Sebastian Rode. Each of them offers him something different; Bernat is more of a traditional full-back and more or less parks himself along the touchline; Alaba and Rafinha are capable of not just playing as full-backs, but also tucking into midfield while Rode and Hoijberg are more inclined to drop inwards as defensive midfielders.
Depending on what weakness a certain opponent has and what he wants to guard against regards his own team, Guardiola can pick his personnel. To top that, you have Lahm, who can play any of those positions on either side. And hence the dynamic fluidity of the wingbacks will be something to look forward to this season.
Jupp Heynckes, the 67 year old manager of Bayern Munich had this to say after his team's decimation of Barcelona on Tuesday night: ""We've been playing extraordinary football all season. It was not a really big surprise to me that we scored four goals. We have played to a high level all season."
THE BEATING
The beating that Barcelona received at the hands of Heynckes' team was a first; it was the first time any team had suffered a 4-0 defeat in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. For a lot of Barca fans as well as other football aficionados not entirely attuned to the exploits of Bayern Munich this season, the result was a shocker. But, as Heynckes so gleefully pointed out, they have been playing "extraordinary football" all season and this result was if anything, a strong reinforcement of that very fact.
“They were physically very strong,’’ said Xavi. “In fact they were superior. We didn't create chances. It’s a dreadful result. No excuses.’’ added Xavi afterwards. “They have been the better team and we congratulate them.” This is an uncharacteristic line towed by Barca and Xavi, where upon previous exits to Chelsea and Inter Milan, the Spanish midfielder had taken the moral high ground saying the opposition did not play football the right way and that they attempted to play a 'dirty' game.
Tuesday's beating though was different. There was a sense amongst almost all Barca players that they had just been taken to the cleaners by a far superior footballing unit. Lionel Messi too agreed: “Bayern were the better team, in everything,’’ said Barcelona’s No 10, who had clearly not recovered from a recent hamstring problem. “They’re stronger, scored twice from set-pieces, every second ball was for them.’’
Gerard Pique, never one to shy away from giving his thoughts was candid, “They thrashed us, the referee didn't have an influence. It is almost impossible for us, but we have to show some face in the return-leg. They were quicker, stronger and better.”
THE BAYERN BEAST
Bayern were Runners-Up to Chelsea in last year's edition of the Champions League. In all fairness, it was a game that they dominated, but somehow contrived to lose in front of their home supporters. That disappointment has only added to their desire to conquer all and sundry that appear before them this term. In making the semi-finals this year, Barcelona had achieved a rare distinction of making 6 consecutive semi-final appearances. It is in a way a fair reflection of the dominance that the team from Catalonia has exerted on this competition.
The German club have not been far behind; Heynckes has led Bayern to two of the last three finals, and a third in four years, looks an inevitability after Tuesday's demolition job. The sourness from their inability to cross the final hurdle on a couple of occasions still lingers and Heynckes pointed it out after the game - "Falling short of success in the past two years has only made them hungrier to win this year. The tactical awareness of this team is top notch as well, just like their willingness to run and fight for one another. Today's (Tuesday's) game was a perfect example of that."
This is a team that has been built carefully by Heynckes, who will be stepping down at the end of the year. After being outgunned to the Bundesliga title the last two years by Borussia Dortmund, Bayern addressed key areas of the squad in the summer. In central defence, Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber, were being exposed against more physical teams and pacy forwards. Dante, the tall bushy-haired Brazilian defender, was bought from Borussia Monchengladbach for about €4 million to help solve matters. The second piece of the puzzle was securing the services of Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao for a record transfer fee of €40 million. Mario Mandzukic after his stellar season last year for Wolfsburg, was poached for €13 million and the Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri was purchased from FC Basel for €9 million to beef up the attack.
The addition of these players has helped address some of the shortcomings from previous seasons. Bayern have conceded only 14 goals in 30 Bundesliga games, an average of 0.46 goals per game, the best out of any leading side in the respective leagues - Barcelona have conceded 33 from 32 games (1.03), PSG 20 from 33 (0.60), Juventus 20 from 33 (0.60), Manchester United 35 from 34 (1.03), Ajax 31 from 31 (1.00).
They are also pressing the ball a lot better thereby allowing teams very little time on the ball. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi constantly found themselves shackled and harassed by a player in a red shirt and the various channels that Barca constantly use were expertly cut out. ”You have got to analyse how an opponent plays, where they run, how they attack. Then find something you can hold against that. And I did that, I had a PowerPoint presentation, you could see all the runs they do. Defensively we were very strong, we worked very hard. Barcelona couldn't really do anything, they had one and a half chances.“, added Heynckes complimenting his team on their superlative effort.
The Bavarian giants have lost just 3 games all season, 1 in the league and 2 in the Champions League. Bayer Leverkusen are the only ones who have managed to upstage the Red Army of Munich domestically, while BATE Borisov and Arsenal registered unexpected convincing wins over them in Europe. Those results were merely an aberration in a season where the word 'thumping' has followed quite a few of Bayern's footballing encounters. Tuesday night was the 14th instance where Bayern had scored 4 or more goals in a match in all competitions. Over the weekend, they destroyed Hannover 6-1, even after the title had been well wrapped up and with several first-team regulars not playing! (Just to add, Hannover are 11th in the German league and not a bottom club). In 8 of those games, they've hit 5 or more - Stuttgart (6-1), Fortuna Dusseldorf (5-0), Hannover (5-0, 6-1), Werder Bremen (6-1), Hamburg (9-2), Wolfsburg (6-1), Lille (6-1) have all been at the receiving end of those maulings.
One striking feature of their play this season has been the spread of goals as well as the areas of attack. Of all their forward forays, 35% have come through the left flank, 39% through the right flank and 26% through the middle. In the Bundesliga, Mario Mandzukic is their top scorer with 15 goals while Thomas Muller has chipped in with 12 and the remainder of their 89 goals in total have come from others. Last year most of the goals were shared by Mario Gomez, who had 26 himself, and Ribery/Robben.
In the assist category, Franck Ribery, Muller and Philip Lahm are the joint top assisters in the Bundesliga with 10 each. Muller who bagged a double against Barca is their leading man in the Champions League with 7 and Bayern before Tuesday boasted one of the best attacks in this year's edition with 22 goals, second only to Real Madrid with 23.
The big picture hence shows a team that holds no dependence on any one player and hence Barca had an uphill task from the very first minute as they were going up against a superior team with strength and depth in all areas of the pitch and a team that has meticulously stuck to a system all year.
THE YOUNG BREED
Bayern's superb squad has been assembled with an excellent blend of marquee signings and young players who have come through from the Youth team. In fact, one of the features of Heynckes' current tenure has been his blooding of youngsters such as David Alaba, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos who have made the transition from the youth team to being seasoned internationals amongst the best in the world.
The core of Bayern's team is made up of their own, players promoted through their academy. Both captain and vice-captain, Philip Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, are Bayern through and through, having joined the club as teenagers. Defenders David Alaba, who has been a revelation the last 2 seasons, along with Holger Badstuber also made the progression up from junior ranks.So have midfielders Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos. This composition has helped in the excellent team chemistry that these players share much like Barcelona do with their core having played with each other so often. And all these players are first-teamers occupying key positions for the Bundesliga giants.
With the likes of dangerous wingers such Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery also in the squad, this is a team that is as dangerous as they come and one that makes for a heady concoction of talent.
THE BRAINS
The contribution of Jupp Heynckes to the Bayern project should not be undermined. The former Monchengladbach striker, is a master tactician when it comes to coaching and is one of the most decorated German coaches of all time. As evidenced from the transcripts above, his preparation for games is meticulous and is as animated as they come on the touchlines. Nicknamed 'Osram', for the way that his face tends to redden when under pressure or when agitated during a game, Heynckes in 34 years of management has authored many a success story in Germany as well as Spain.
In his first stint with Bayern Munich (1987-1991), he won two back-to-back Bundesliga titles. He moved on to Athletic Bilbao in 1992 and in his second season there led the Basques to a UEFA Cup (erstwhile Europa League) spot by finishing 5th in the league. He returned to Spain with Tenerife in 1995 and led them to a UEFA Cup spot in the very first season. Following his success with Tenerife, Spanish giants Real Madrid came calling in June 1997 and that would be where he would celebrate his greatest triumph till date.
In the 1997-98 season, he delivered the Champions League trophy to the 'Los Blancos'. That win in Amsterdam, where they beat Juventus by a solitary goal, broke a 32 year barren run without Europe's premier trophy for Real. However, as has come to be with fickle owners, the German's contract was terminated at the end of the season due to Madrid finishing 4th in La Liga, 11 points behind champions Barcelona.
After not so successful short stints at a host of clubs, 'Osram' returned to the Allianz for a third stint (had a brief spell as caretaker manager after Juergen Klinsmann's sacking in April 2009) with the Bavarian club, which has so far been a successful run. A 22nd Bundesliga title has been wrapped up, reclaimed from Dortmund, in record time even; the title has never been won this early ever.
Heynckes' teams are well known for their discipline and commitment to team ethic. They are very well drilled and are very efficient in picking teams apart with ruthless elan. To an extent, the wily German coach has been a little disappointed at the way Guardiola was appointed to succeed him even before the end of the season and he has expressed his willingness to leave with his head held high having delivered a historic treble to the club.
THE BAVARIAN SUPREMACY
Bayern before the game announced the addition of Dortmund's talented attacking midfielder Mario Goetze to their ranks from next season, and there are rumors rife that his teammate and prolific striker Robert Lewandowski is poised to join him. Bayern's ambitions stretch far beyond any amount of success that comes their way this term; they are building for domination of the European club scene in years to come.
That spells bad news for Bayern's opponents, as not only are they going up against a very, very talented team with the wherewithal to bully opponents into submission, as Barcelona found out, but also a group of players smarting from the heartbreaks of recent seasons, and an incumbent manager determined to leave with a bar set at a near stratospheric level for his successor to match.
A quite brilliant team performance from Bayern Munich saw them deliver a seemingly knock-out blow to Barcelona as they beat them 4-0 in the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena.
It is not often that Barcelona get mauled by that margin in a game, but it was a special night in Munich, one that belonged to Bayern from start to finish. A double from Thomas Mueller, who was outstanding on the night, and a goal a piece for Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben left Barca needing nothing short of a miracle in the return leg in 8 days time to overturn this deficit.
Gomez came in for suspended striker Mario Mandzukic while Jerome Boateng replaced Daniel Van Buyten in defence in the only 2 changes made by Jupp Heynckes from the team that beat Juventus. Barcelona were missing the services of Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano through injury, and that meant a start for youngster Marc Bartra alongside Gerard Pique. Lionel Messi was passed fit to play, but through his performance in the game gave the impression that he wasn't exactly a 100%.
Bayern got off the blocks quickly; after scoring a 2nd minute goal against Juve, they once again fashioned a scoring opportunity after just 4 minutes when Robben after some good work with captain Philip Lahm found himself in the box and stabbed a shot at goal that was saved by Victor Valdes. After the initial flurry, Bayern were quite content to give the ball to Barcelona, but ensured that they didn't get much beyond the half-way line as they pressed and harried the Catalan side when on the ball.
And, after retrieving it, they used it to devastating effect by playing balls into the space left behind by Barca's full-backs - Alves and Jordi Alba as Robben and Franck Ribery were let loose on the visitors. Bayern looked threatening every time they went forward and were unlucky to be denied a penalty early on when Pique looked to have stuck his arm out to keep out a Lahm effort.
Bayern broke through in the 23rd minute from a corner, 1 of 8 corners that they earned in the first half. After Barca failed to effectively clear Ribery's delivery, the ball fell to Robben who put in an uncharacteristic right-footed cross that was met by the head of Dante to guide it to Mueller who scored with a diving header of his own.
Every time the ball was lifted into the box, Bayern looked capable of scoring with Barcelona looking susceptible to a long known weakness. Bayern created a few more good openings but couldn't muster a second goal and proceeded to half-time with a 1-0 lead.
Barcelona did not have a single shot on target in the first half with Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer hardly called into action. Bayern's defence and midfield did such an excellent job of shackling Barcelona, not allowing them any time on the ball, that they ensured the visitors created next to nothing with limited forward passing.
In the second half, Bayern came out firing, looking to pick up from where they left off and Gomez soon doubled their advantage. From another corner, Robben's delivery was headed across goal by Mueller, and Gomez lashed in a left-footed finish from close range as Barca were undone once again by a ball into the box. Gomez did look marginally offside though.
Two goals to the good, Bayern afforded to sit back a bit deeper and hand Barcelona some more possession. It was an exercise in futility for Tito Vilanova's side who could not get anything going against an organized and well-drilled Munich side. Messi ghosted through much of the game and even when he got the ball at his feet, he was met with swift tackles and challenges from the Bayern players. Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger had a colossal game in the heart of that Bayern midfield.
By now Barcelona were growing frustrated and it increasingly looked like Bayern would score a third rather than the 'Blaugrana' snatching a goal back as Mueller, Ribery and Robben were swamping all over Barca. Robben scored on 73 minutes after one of his trademark mazy runs and went on to finish from a tight angle on the right to make it 3-0; he was helped by a rather generous screen by Mueller on Jordi Alba before the Dutchman composed a cool finish past Valdes.
The Allianz Arena was delirious by now and Barcelona weren't able to find any answers to the threat that Bayern posed downt he flanks with David Alaba and Lahm also joining in towards the latter stages. That produced a fourth on 82 minutes, when Alaba and Robben combined to devastating effect with the Austrian lashing in a devilish low cross that was turned in by Mueller for his second and to enlarge the scoreline to 4-0.
Frustration boiled over for some of the Barcelona players towards the end and Jordi Alba was lucky to get just a yellow as he threw the ball onto Robben's face in an unsportsmanlike gesture. He will miss the second leg at the Camp Nou.
Just like the game, Bayern Munich were headline makers through the day. They began the morning with the news that they have acquired the talented Mario Gotze from rivals Borussia Dortmund, and they ended the night with a performance that lit up the Allianz Arena as they put Barcelona to the sword in a 4-0 thrashing.
Jupp Heynckes before the game told reporters that they had a plan. He mentioned that it wasn't the same as the one against Juventus, but they did have a plan. Bayern executed their plan to perfection and looked like a team set to dominate the European scene for a few years to come. Heynckes and his men after tonight are well on the Road to Wembley.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Thomas Mueller/Arjen Robben - Mueller normally reserves his best for the big games and showed his class tonight with a superb performance. Bayern's leading scorer in the tournament bagged a brace and ran the Barca defence ragged with his well-timed runs and link play as the 2nd striker at times.
Arjen Robben has just gotten better as the tournament has progressed and never stopped running like an Energizer bunny. His forays down the right flank kept Alba pegged back and he was a constant thorn in Barcelona's flesh. Was involved in all the goals on the night and displayed great commitment to team ethic by even getting back to defend and sharing the ball well.
Fans and pundits alike were licking their lips when Bayern Munich were drawn to play Barcelona in the first semi-final of this year's UEFA Champions League. Barcelona have not been at their best in Europe this season, by their own standards and has piqued everybody's attention as to how they are going to cope against an all-conquering Bayern Munich side.
The interesting sub-plot to this face-off between the two giants is Pep Guardiola. The man who will succeed Jupp Heynckes as manager of Bayern next season managed the 'Blaugrana' for four seasons between 2008 and 2012. While in-charge at the Camp Nou, Guardiola amassed 14 trophies and is the most successful Barca coach to date in terms of trophies.
As you would expect, the talk of Heynckes ringing up Guardiola to try and extract a few keys to victory from the Spaniard against his former side have been rife ever since. So before Bayern's semi-final clash with Wolfsburg in the German Cup, in which they mauled their opponents 6-1, their manager was quizzed on this very matter. Heynckes explained that he would not be seeking out his successor for advice and that if he needed any, he would turn to Dutch legend Johann Cruyff.
“Pep cannot reveal details about Barcelona, out of respect for his former club,” Heynckes told reporters this week. “But I also will not have to ask him. I know Spanish football well and Barcelona. If I wanted to call someone, I would choose Johan Cruyff, because he invented Barca’s playing system."
He went on to explain how it was a massive game in the season and that they are taking it one game at a time: "It’s a big game for the club and of course for the fans, but the team has to understand that we must stay focused on our next game, because we are not playing Barcelona right now."
Germany and Spain each have 2 representatives in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's premier club competition. For the first time in 3 years, England has none. But, a more damaging fact is that no English team even made the Quarterfinals of this year's competition.
The last time an English side did not make the Quarterfinals was way back in the 1995-96 season. However, at the time, the format was such that only the winners of each of Europe's domestic leagues featured in the tournament. Blackburn Rovers, by virtue of winning the league the previous season, were England's representatives; but a disappointing campaign saw them finish bottom of their group behind the likes of Spartak Moscow, Rosenborg and Legia Warsaw. Also, there was no Round of 16 back then as there were only 16 teams spread across 4 groups.
If we were to look for the last instance of this event under the current format, we would have to keep looking for a while; because there has simply been no precedent. Never have the Quarterfinals of the Champions League been played with zero English participation. While naysayers will say that it does not really reflect much, and that England has been the most consistent in producing semi-finalists in the last decade and that the English league is more competitive in nature, there is no denying the fact that the best of England are no longer a match for the best of Germany, Spain, Italy and a few other countries.
Manchester City and Chelsea exited at the group stage, while Manchester United and Arsenal had tough first round encounters against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively. You could argue that City were in the Group of Death, but that is no justification for finishing last behind even Ajax. For a team of City's quality and resources, they were expected to make a fist of it. As good as Dortmund and Real were, City were poor and failed to mount a serious challenge against any of their opponents. Chelsea too fell at the first hurdle, in the process suffering the ignominy of being the first defending champions to go out in the group phase. After starting brightly, they were outplayed by Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk in key games which eventually spelt the death knell for their European ambitions and then manager Roberto Di Matteo's job for the season.
The sending off of Nani in the 2nd leg encounter at Old Trafford has been mooted as a turning point which swung the tie in favor of Madrid against Man United. Truth is though, that United failed to grab a multitude of opportunities even before the incident to pocket the tie. In the 1st leg in Madrid, there were opportunities for Robin Van Persie and Ryan Giggs to have accumulated more away goals for United, but they fluffed their chances. The 2nd leg saw United once again control the game and frustrate Madrid, but they failed to put away their chances. Nobody needs reminding that football is a game of 90 minutes; 60 minutes of good work does not entitle any team success, and lest we forget even 10 minutes after the Red card United looked comfortable with a 1-0 lead and 18 minutes to go to full time. Why didn't Sir Alex Ferguson use his experience to bring on a defender for a forward and try and preserve the lead? Why did he he get carried away berating the official and jeeing up the fans instead of perhaps focusing on substitutions? Why did he wait until they were 2-1 down to make his substitutions? Sending-offs swing a game, yes, but they are a part of the game and at this level you have to be prepared for that eventuality. Instead of planning out how best to see off the game, United's manager, staff and players seemed more keen on sulking and complaining about the decision and that i believe is what cost them the game and not the Nani's dismissal in itself.
As for Arsenal, they just came up against a supremely talented and confident team in Bayern Munich. The tie was pretty much settled in the 1st leg where the Germans decimated Arsenal to register a 3-1 win aided by some dodgy team selection and tactics from Arsene Wenger. The Germans are one of the favorites to take home the trophy this year and i firmly believe that Bayern Munich will either be Champions or be beaten by the eventual winners.
The English Premier League, from top to bottom, is definitely more competitive than its European cousins. This is due to a lot of reasons, but primarily down to the more even collective bargaining agreement that sees TV revenue shared equitably. The Bundesliga is seeing a revival of sorts again with all the teams playing an attractive brand of football and with clubs being owned by the fans as opposed to conglomerates, ticket prices are very affordable and the stadia and facilities have gotten a major uplift. Borussia Dortmund, once on the verge of bankruptcy and extinction, have made the journey to becoming champions of the Bundesliga twice over with a squad that that cost not more than £20 million. But, the irrefutable fact remains that there has been a gradual decline in the English game showcased by the failings of England's top clubs at the highest level. True, Chelsea did win it last year, but they needed a healthy serving of good fortune along the way.
One primary reason that can be attributed to the relative downfall of English sides is the severe lack of quality in the midfield area. In recent seasons, there has been an over-reliance on the forward line to get the job done. En route to the title last year, Chelsea put up a workmanlike midfield which effectively snuffed out the opposition, including Barcelona, but it was Didier Drogba and his goals that almost single-handedly carried them to the title. The season before that United made it to the final, thanks mainly to a somewhat favorable draw and rightly got decimated in the final against Barca. United's triumph in the 2006/07 season was also driven by their midfield consisting of Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves who were fantastic in that campaign. Their ability to control the midfield allowed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez to do their bit up front. Darren Fletcher's absence from the final the very next season against Barcelona proved more damaging than expected. Xavi and Iniesta turned Anderson inside out and cantered to a 2-0 victory. Liverpool's championship side that secured that magical victory in Istanbul was driven on by talismanic Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in the middle. This year, United are on the way to a 20th league title, but with an over-reliance on their forwards, Van Persie in particular. Time after time, they have gotten out of jail with the help of their forwards. The reason they have been behind in games so often is again the lack of midfield.
Yaya Toure is arguably one of the best central midfielders in the league (discounting David Silva as he likes to roam and sometimes plays in a wide position). He was one of the prime pillars on which City's success last season was built. He has been a little out of form, you can blame fatigue or just lack of touch for that. And early on, his struggles corroborated a lot with City's struggles and hence they failed to get momentum going. Michael Carrick's return to form for United has been a joy to watch this season. But, he too suffers from a lack of quality sidekicks. Chelsea for all their attacking flair leave huge gaps in the central midfield and rely on workhorses John Obi Mikel and Ramires for solidity. They lack a definitive shape and when Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar all go forward, they are left exposed at the back. Tottenham too have relied on the brilliance of Gareth Bale, but have some good options in the form of Scott Parker, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Moussa Dembele. Jack Wilshere is the true outstanding talent currently playing in the English league and when he plays, Arsenal look a totally different side. Mikel Arteta also comes into his own in the company of the young Englishman. But, for Arsenal, more than losing Van Persie, the loss of Alex Song was a big blow. He lent them that steel in midfield and he was very good with his distribution, a combo that has been tough to replace.
Now compare that with the 4 teams that have made it to the semi's. Barcelona, lest we mention have the trio of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta who boss the midfield. Bayern Munich have got Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez and Toni Kroos who boss the midfield. Borussia Dortmund play Ilkay Gundogan, Sven Bender and Mario Gotze who do the same for the Black and Yellow. And Real Madrid have got the tireless Sami Khedira working with master passer Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil who pretty much impose their authority in that area of the pitch. Juventus, who were outclassed by Munich, don't fare too badly either with Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. The fact that they were usurped by Bayern just goes to show how well the Germans are playing and how effective their midfield unit is in nullifying that of their opponents. PSG who narrowly lost to Barcelona have 2 fine youngsters in Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi (not bought for huge sums of money by the way) who'd be able to gain the measure of even the best English sides. Doesn't make for healthy reading, does it?
Paul Pogba mentioned in a recent interview that the main reason for his departure from Old Trafford was Ferguson's stubborn refusal to play the youngster choosing to plump for veterans such as Ryan Giggs and Scholes instead. This when it was so blatantly clear that United needed legs and energy alongside the passing ability of Carrick. So, until this problem is solved, the well documented struggles of English sides against the best of Europe is going to continue. The Italian league is on a bit of a rebuilding phase as even the traditional big boys such as Milan and Juve struggle financially. So, the Premier League may not fall behind them, but the drop in quality overall has been obvious. A continued decadence and England could fall behind Italy and surrender that 4th Champions League spot to another nation as Italy found out when usurped by Germany.
The Camp Nou will have a vibrant atmosphere tonight. For the second time this season, the historic stadium will witness a 'Catalan' mosaic night - 90,000 cards carrying the Blaugrana's traditional colors and the Catalan flag along with the central slogan of "Som Un Equip" (We are a team) are to be given out. The setting is the 2nd leg of Barcelona's Round of 16 clash versus AC Milan; a tie in which they find themselves 0-2 down on aggregate after the 1st leg.
AC Milan pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever when they stunned European powerhouse Barca not just beating them, but also doing such a fine job of preventing any goal scoring opportunities whatsoever for the Spanish side. The Italian Job at the San Siro was near perfect and Milan come into Catalonia country looking for a sequel to the act that is as good if not better.
A young and athletic Milan side clamped down on Barca as they cut down the spaces in which the Catalans usually operate and pressed them when in possession allowing them very little time on the ball. And in attack, employed a very direct approach using the pace of their forwards and Riccardo Montolivo's passing ability in midfield that exposed some of Barca's traditional failings, namely the lack of pace in the central defensive pairing of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique. They hunted as a pack and were on the scene as soon as the ball found a Barca player harrowing and forcing a bad pass or a turnover to win the ball back. They also cut the supply line usually provided by the full-backs in Dani Alves and Jordi Alba. Their performance was so good that they allowed only 2 shots on goal all night with just a solitary effort on target. Not in every game does Lionel Messi have only one touch inside the penalty box and fail to muster a single shot on goal.
The key question tonight will be whether the Rossoneri can reproduce that performance from 2 weeks ago when they displayed exemplary levels of concentration and executed their strategy to the tee. It will be tough as Messi and co. are a force to reckon with at home. Barcelona have had a bad last month, February has traditionally been their Achilles heel, suffering back to back losses to arch rivals Real Madrid to go with the disappointment of the 1st leg.
FORM
Barcelona have lost 3 of their last 5 games which includes the 1st leg. They did however win their game against Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 over the weekend with Messi finding the net and scoring for the 36th consecutive La Liga game. Barcelona are well poised to reclaim the La Liga title with a 13 point lead over Real Madrid who overtook city rivals Atletico Madrid over the weekend after Atletico's loss.
Milan are unbeaten in their last 5, winning 4 and drawing 1, the draw coming in the Milan derby against Internazionale. Mario Balotelli has been firing away propelling them to league success as they've moved up to 3rd just 2 points adrift of 2nd placed Napoli. After a torrid start to the season, Massimiliano Allegri seems to have found the right mix and the team has a settled look about it and is churning out results week after week.
TEAM NEWS
Midfielder Xavi is back for Barca after missing a few games with a minor injury. The biggest name missing continues to be their manager Tito Vilanova, who is away in the United States undergoing treatment for cancer. The absence of Vilanova certainly seems to have had an impact on the side as they have struggled since his forced absence after having made a flying start to the season.
Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini, who had an exemplary game at the Giuseppe Meazza, is out with a micro-fracture that he picked up during the game at the weekend. Allegri will not be able to call upon the services of Balotelli with the Italian being cup tied and that means a start for either former Barca man Bojan Krkic or teenager M'baye Niang alongside the talented Stephan El Shaarawy.
TACTICS & KEY BATTLES
Jordi Roura will not look to make too many changes in the line-up. Alexis Sanchez or Cristian Tello may get a start ahead of Cesc Fabregas in the attacking third to introduce some width into the game which they lacked in the first leg.
Pazzini's injury means a forced change up front for the Italian side. Niang, the 18 year old striker signed from French side Caen, was impressive in the first outing coming on as a sub and had a hand in the second goal. He would be slight favourite to start ahead of Bojan who is a similar type of player to El Shaarawy and hence may be used as a sub. Outside of that, there aren't likely to be too many changes with the likes of Antonio Nocerino and Mathieu Flamini offering good midfield back-up from the bench.
How well Milan defend will go some way in determining the outcome on the night. The Camp Nou will be a cauldron with a fervent atmosphere reverberating around the stadium and for some of Milan's youngsters it would be first time experience. If they can keep the game goalless for a good portion of the game, they will have succeeded in taking the crowd out of the game.
AC Milan have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 8 away games in the Champions League. That should be of some encouragement to the Catalans as they set about their task of overturning this deficit. However, Milan too would take heart from the fact that Barcelona too have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 6 knockout stage games at home, winning 4 and drawing 2.
Against Deportivo at the weekend, Barca interjected their usual brand of possession football with long balls and more direct play, clearly something that they have been working on and designed at unlocking a Milan defence that they couldn't find an unlock code too. We will see more of the same from Milan as they will sit back and defend in numbers looking to catch the Barca defence out on the counter. The hosts need to ensure that they don't play too high a line and their full-backs must take cognizance of where the centre-backs are positioned as they hurtle forward.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR Andres Iniesta - No matter the numerous Ballon'd Or awards and the constant claim of the World's greatest, it is Iniesta and not Messi who is the key cog for Barca and Spain when it comes to games of this magnitude. He has time and again popped up with match winning performances on the grandest stage, just ask Chelsea. Even in the first leg, he looked the only player in a Barca shirt that looked capable of making something happen.
Stephan El Shaarawy - The electric forward was a constant threat to Barca in the first leg and posed all sorts of problems with his pace and direct running at the defenders. 'The Little Pharaoh had a few opportunities in the first half that he may have liked to make better use of. He will surely get some more as Barcelona go looking for goals and how he makes use of them might well decide if his side progress to the next round.
Barcelona are no doubt faced with an uphill task as they look to revive their quest for Champions League glory. Standing in the way will be a young and physically fit Milan side that left them short of breath and short of ideas at the end of the 1st leg. It promises to be an exciting contest and a keen tactical battle that will see the clash of two contrasting styles in the 'Tiki-taka' against the 'Catenaccio'. Barca have been the dominant team in Europe the last half a decade and will need to call upon all their experience to ensure there is no Italian delight at the final whistle.
Barcelona suffered a second painful defeat in 4 days to their arch rivals Real Madrid as Los Blancos won their La Liga clash 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon.
Having been comprehensively beaten on their home turf at the Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey semi-final, the Catalans were looking to bounce back but instead ended the game on the losing side once more as a late header from Sergio Ramos sealed victory for Madrid.
Karim Benzema gave Real an early lead in the 5th minute opening the scoring before Lionel Messi equalized for Barca in the 18th minute. Messi scored his 18th El Clasico goal tying the record of Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano. With a draw looking imminent, Ramos rose highest to head home the winner off Luka Modric's corner with just 8 minutes to go.
The match itself was a lackluster affair with both teams looking content with a draw. Real boss Jose Mourinho left out his star names including top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira also sat out with the return leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash at Old Trafford coming up midweek. Barcelona meanwhile played an almost full strength side with only Xavi replaced by Thiago Alcantara in midfield.
Ronaldo was brought on with half an hour left in the game and he almost made it 11 goals in as many Clasico games as his free kick thundered off the post slightly after Ramos had given Madrid the lead. The game ended on a sour note for the visitors as a penalty appeal for a foul by Ramos on Adriano was waived off and keeper Victor Valdes was shown a second yellow and sent off for berating the referee on the decision.
The win sees the gap between the 2 sides cut to 13 points. It was Barcelona's first loss in the league at the Bernabeu in 4 seasons and have now won only 1 of their last 8 Clasico's; their worst run since 2006-08 under the reign of Frank Rijkaard.
Two defeats in the last 3 games have exposed some of Barca's traditional failings and the Catalans need to rebound in the El Clasico tonight
Barcelona are top of the La Liga, a comfortable 12 points clear of second placed Atletico Madrid and a further 4 points away from arch rivals Real Madrid. But, 2 defeats in their last 3 games inflicted by AC Milan and Real Madrid have blunted the Blaugrana's season.
February has traditionally been Barca's Achilles heel every season. They lose more games in February than any other month of the season. This year's been no different. First, came the upset at the San Siro in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 when a young and athletic Milan team employed the 'Catenaccio' to such good effect to nullify the Catalans' 'tiki-taka' beating them 2-0 in the process. Then, a humiliating 3-1 loss at home to Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. In between the 2 losses, they struggled to a 2-1 victory over Sevilla.
Barca going into the game against Milan had only lost 2 games the entire season across all competitions. The only other team to boast such a record was Bayern Munich. However, it is not so much the losses, but the manner of defeats that they suffered. Chelsea, en route to winning it all last year in the Champions League, showed that Barca can be beaten if you put bodies behind the ball and snuff out their intricate passing. However, they had a huge slice of good fortune in both legs of their semi-final to progress to the final. Barcelona had plenty of chances in those games and failed to put Chelsea out due to some of their own failings.
But, in the two recent defeats, they have been completely snuffed out and their stalwarts Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi have been isolated and reduced to passengers onboard a Barca ship that couldn't make any headway past some very well organized defences.
Milan had a game plan that involved stuffing the middle of the park with bodies and inviting Barcelona to attack from the flanks. No way through the middle, Barca did try bombarding forward through Dani Alves and Jordi Alba, but were stopped in their tracks as the 2 wide players of Milan also dropped back to support their full-backs. Not only was the defence organized superbly, the athleticism and pressing when Barca were on the ball was relentless. In addition, Milan looked more threatening in attack employing a very direct approach using the pace of Stephan El Shaarawy with Riccardo Montolivo directing things from midfield. The Italian Job was so perfect that the visitors only had 2 shots on goal, both of which came from outside the box.
Madrid saw what happened and went into their 2nd leg semi-final clash at the Camp Nou with the exact same tactics. Perhaps not so efficient as the Italians but boasting much more firepower with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria, Real tore the hosts to shreds playing on the counter with pace exploiting the gaps behind the full backs. In this game too, Barcelona had not more than 5 shots on goal while Madrid could have easily been 5-0 up instead of 3.
Barcelona got psyched out by the Milan loss and tried playing a more direct game against Madrid. But where they faltered was in failing to realize that they don't have the personnel for such a tactic and that Madrid are just brilliant on the counter. So, when Barca lost the ball, before they could count to 10, the ball had been released to Ronaldo and Di Maria up front and their centre-backs were under attack. Playing a very high line, Carles Puyol and Gerrard Pique were turned inside out and simply had no answer to Real's attacking prowess that lit up the Camp Nou.
Barcelona don't have a Plan B. They also don't have the services of their manager Tito Vilanova who is in the USA receiving treatment for cancer. With confidence low and in need of a different approach to try and change things, they travel to Madrid to face a buoyant Real in a second successive Clasico, this time in the league. Barca have taken some body blows in the last couple of weeks that have left them teetering on the ropes. They need to avoid getting completely KO'd and avoiding a second straight defeat to Madrid is a must.
Barcelona always recover and may do likewise this season and their lead in the La Liga should see them home. However, tonight's result could have a huge bearing on their chances in the Champions League. Either way, they need a different approach and it looks like the team is coming to the end of a dominant cycle and will have to find an alternate approach to winning as they are getting predictable and hence out-thought and out-manouevered by their opponents.
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